Solar Employment Jumped 25% in 2016

Ryan

1 year ago

Drive down almost any neighborhood and you’ll see solar on one of the roofs. Since the creation of the Solar Investment Tax Credit in 2006, solar has grown at a compound annual rate of over 60% every year. Low-cost equipment, competition, and government incentives have created a rapidly growing industry. An industry that is putting America to work: 1 in 5 of the new jobs in 2016 were in solar.

In January, the Department of Energy released their second annual report that analyzes employment trends in the energy industry. The DOE’s “2017 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER)” collects information by surveying over 30,000 employees in the energy sector and uses data from the U.S. Department of Labor.

Here are some of the most significant highlights.

41% of solar jobs are in California.

Over 370,000 people work in solar as of 2016.

The solar workforce grew 25% in 2016.

6.4 million Americans are employed in the “traditional energy and energy efficiency industries” with over 300,000 net new jobs added in 2016. 300,000 jobs are 14% of the nation’s job growth.

Also, the U.S. solar industry was responsible for creating ‘one out of every 50 new jobs in the U.S.’ according to a report by The Solar Foundation.

Help Put America To Work – Go Solar!

Call Allterra today to discover how to keep more money in your wallet with solar power. Allterra has partnered with community lenders so you can go solar without a single cent upfront. Call us at (831) 425-2608 today!